The present invention relates to a film transfer tool for use in transferring a stratified film provided on a film transfer tape to the surface of a paper for correcting a letter or letters.
As is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 47-40543, a film transfer tool is known in which a feed reel and a take-up reel which are adapted to interlock with each other via a power transmission means are disposed within a case, whereby a film transfer tape is fed out from the feed reel so as to be moved over the surface of a paper while being pressed against the surface of the paper with a transfer head protruding from the case, and the film transfer tape is then taken up by the take-up reel as a tape from which a film has been transferred.
In the conventional example, the transfer head is constituted by the transfer roller, whereby a film transfer tape is pressed against the surface of a paper so as to transfer a film to the surface of the paper while the transfer roller is being rotated, and since the transfer roller having a large outside diameter is used, there is a limitation to the scope of application of the film transfer tool of this type. Namely, spaces between letters of normally used word processors are substantially 0.5 mm, and such a conventional transfer roller cannot be disposed in any of those narrow spaces between the letters of the word processor to transfer a film onto a letter contiguous to any of the spaces. To cope with this, a transfer head comprising a small piece having a triangular cross section has been used as a transfer head that can be disposed in the narrow spaces between the letters, but that type of transfer head does not roll as a roller does, and therefore a pressing force (transfer load) which is greater than required is destined to be exerted on the transfer tape. Thus, with this transfer head it is not always ensured that a smooth transfer operation can be carried out.
The present invention relates to a method for producing a small diameter roller for use for a transfer head of a film transfer tool.
Conventionally, there have been filed many applications for patent on film transfer tools for correcting typographical errors. For example, Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 6-73026 discloses a film transfer tool in which a spatula-like transfer head is provided at a distal end of a main body of the tool for handling a film transfer tape so as to transfer a transfer film onto the surface of a paper.
A film transfer tool of this type is generally referred to as a spatula-like head type film transfer tool, and since they are easy to be produced, film transfer tools of the type have been used widely. In this type of film transfer tools, however, there has been a case where the surface of a paper is scratched on an end of the head in transferring a film, and moreover there has been often a case where in trying to transfer a film so as to overlap the film that has just been transferred the lower film is scraped with the spatula-like transfer head. Widths of currently marketed film transfer tapes range from 3 mm to 6 mm and film transfer tapes are classified into a plurality of types for smaller to larger letters, respectively. So, if film transfer tapes of those types are used appropriately depending on widths of letters to be corrected, letters can be corrected at one time without transferring film on film in an overlapping fashion. However, from the consumers"" point of view, it is economical buying a film transfer tape of an intermediate width to transfer film on film in an overlapping fashion depending on the width of letters to be corrected rather than buying several film transfer tapes of different widths. Due to this, there have been many consumers who make a practice of doing this, and therefore it is important to solve the problem that film cannot be transferred on film in the overlapping fashion.
In addition, the spatula-type head has the following problems:
as a fatal problem attributed to the construction thereof, the film transfer tape is easy to slide transversely while being fed;
the film cannot be not properly transferred if the main body of the film transfer tool is inclined while being in use and;
if it is not strong, the film cannot be transferred.
Adopting a roller type transfer head is one of solutions to the aforesaid problems. With the transfer head being a roller, even if the end of the transfer head is brought into contact with the surface (of a paper) to which film is being transferred, the transfer head only rolls on the surface without scratching the same, and therefore there is no risk of the lower film that has been transferred before being stripped off by the transfer head. This type of transfer head is known as a roller type transfer head, and not only the roller type transfer head is effective in solving the problem with the film-on-film overlapping transfer of film, but also it makes difficult for the film transfer tape to deviate transversely during a film transfer operation to thereby provide the user of the transfer tool with a better handling feel. This makes it easy to transfer film directly on a letter or letters to be corrected. In addition, the property that the film transfer tape is difficult to deviate transversely is effective in solving the problem that the film transfer tape is dislocated from the transfer head during a film transfer operation.
Thus, the roller type transfer head provides superior features, but it has been difficult to produce a small diameter roller for use in the film transfer tool. Due to this, products have been widely marketed which find no problem with being provided with a roller of a relatively large diameter such as a transfer tool for a gluing tape, but roller type film transfer tools which need to be provided with a roller of a small diameter have not yet been widely marketed as a product.
Conventional production methods of small diameter rollers and problems inherent therein will be described below.
(1) Two-color Injection Molding Method
According to this production method, a shaft which has been injection molded is injection molded again for provision of a resilient film.
In this method, the shaft is made from resin, the shaft needs to have a certain thickness so as to provide a sufficient strength in use. In addition, even in the molding process, since an injection pressure of a certain magnitude is exerted on the shaft while the shaft is being subjected to a second injection, the shaft needs to be strong, and therefore, it has been difficult to produce a small diameter shaft.
(2) Compression Molding
Compression molding requires two molding operations to be carried out, which leads to problems of high costs and an expensive mold. In addition, this method can provide only a low processing accuracy, and therefore the method has not been suitable for production of small diameter shafts.
(3) Resilient Tube Fitting Method
According to this production method, a tube made of a resilient material is forcibly fitted on a metallic or resin shaft. This method can provide only weak adherence and has suffered a problem that the resilient tube deviates transversely from the shaft when the transfer head is strongly pressed against the surface of a paper during a film transfer operation.
An object of the present invention is to provide a film transfer tool suitable for a smooth transfer operation of transfer film for putting a transfer tape to a space between letters.
The present invention is, as means for solving above object, provides a film transfer tool in which a feed reel and a take-up reel which are adapted to interlock with each other via a power transmission means are disposed within a case, whereby a film transfer tape is fed out from the feed reel so as to be moved over the surface of a paper while being pressed against the surface of the paper with a transfer head protruding from the case, and the film transfer tape is then taken up by the take-up reel as a tape from which a film has been transferred, the film transfer tool being characterized in that the transfer head is constituted by a supporting frame provided on the case in such a manner as to protrude therefrom and a transfer roller provided in such a manner as to rotatably extend between side pieces of the supporting frame, the transfer roller having an outside diameter of 1 mm to 3 mm, and that a resilient member is provided on the transfer roller of the transfer head so as to constitute an outer circumferential layer of the transfer roller, so that the film transfer tape is brought into press contact with an axial intermediate portion of the resilient member.
Note that with a diameter smaller than 1 mm the tap transfer load (tape drawing load) is increased, and the roller becomes unable to roll. Thus, the roller which is unable to roll functions substantially the same as the small piece did as described above. On the other hand, with a diameter greater than 3 mm, since an angle formed between the gazing line and the surface of the paper for confirming the transfer position ranges from 40 to 90 degrees, when the confirmation angle is 40 degrees, a distance between a contact point (a pressing point) between the transfer roller and the surface of a paper via the transfer tape and a point (a visible point) where a straight line (a gazing line)connecting the eyes with the contact point of the roller and the surface of the paper intersect with each other becomes larger than 0.5 mm which is equal to the spaces between the letters of the normal word processors, thereby making it difficult to confirm the correction starting point.
Also, the present invention is to provide a method for producing a small diameter roller for use for a transfer head of a film transfer tool which can obtain a high production accuracy.
With a view to attaining the object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a small roller for use for a transfer head of a film transfer tool in which a heat shrinkable tube is placed over a core material and then is heated so as to shrink to cover the core material.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the heat shrinkable tube is placed over the core material and thereafter is heated so that the heat shrinkable tube shrinks and covers the core material, there is no need to forcibly fit the resilient tube on the core material, facilitating the producing operation.
In addition, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the adherence between the heat shrinkable tube and the core material can be improved by applying a primer treatment or adhesive to the core material in advance.
Furthermore, according to the same aspect of the present invention, the miniaturization of the roller can be attained by placing the heat shrinkable tube which is formed thin over the thin core material so that the core material is eventually covered by the heat shrinkable tube.
Moreover, according to the aspect of the present invention, the production process can be facilitated by cutting to a suitable dimension the core material which is formed long after the core material is eventually covered by the heat shrinkable tube.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method as set forth in the first aspect of the invention, wherein a collar portion is provided at each end of the core material for preventing the axial deviation of the heat shrinkable tube.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the heat shrinkable tube can be prevented from deviating transversely in production and use by providing the collar portions at the ends of the core material for preventing the transverse deviation of the heat shrinkable tube.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a small diameter roller for use for a transfer head of a film transfer tool in which the small diameter roller is produced by submerging a rubber or silicone rubber tube in petroleum oil or an organic solvent to let the tube swell, the rubber or silicone rubber tube being formed to have an inside diameter which is smaller than the outside diameter of a core material, placing the rubber or silicone rubber tube that has so swollen over the core material and thereafter drying the rubber or silicone rubber tube so placed over so that the tube shrinks to cover the core material.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, even if the tube is formed so as to have the inside diameter which is smaller than the outside diameter of the core material, submerging the tube in petroleum oil or an organic solvent can cause the tube to swell enough to easily be placed over the core material. This is really true in the event that the inside diameter of the tube becomes larger than the outside diameter of the core material as a result of submerging the tube in petroleum oil or an organic solvent. Moreover, even if the inside diameter of the tube still remains smaller than the outside diameter of the core material, there will be no difficulty in placing the tube over the core material because the petroleum oil or organic solvent functions as lubricating oil.
In addition, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the adherence between the tube and the core material can be improved by applying a primer treatment or adhesive to the core material in advance.
Furthermore, according to the same aspect of the present invention, the production process can be facilitated by cutting to a suitable dimension the core material which is formed long after the core material has been covered by the rubber or silicone rubber tub.
Moreover, according to this aspect of the present invention, the miniaturization of the roller can be attained by placing the rubber tube which is formed thin over the thin core material so that the core material is eventually covered by the rubber tube.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method as set forth in the third aspect of the invention, wherein a collar portion is provided at each end of the core material for preventing the axial deviation of the heat shrinkable tube.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the transverse deviation of the rubber or silicone tube relative to the core material can be prevented while in production or in use by providing the collar portions at the ends of the core material.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a small diameter roller for use for a transfer head of a film transfer tool in which the small diameter core material is produced by forming a resilient coat over a core material through painting or coating.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the small diameter core material can be formed by forming the thin resilient coat over the core material.
In addition, according to this aspect of the present invention, the production process can be facilitated by cutting the core material which is formed long to a suitable dimension after the core material has been covered by the thin resilient film.
Furthermore, according to the same aspect of the present invention, the number of production processes can be reduced further than the case where the heat shrinkable tube is used or the case where the tube is used which is swollen by petroleum oil or an organic solvent, and the production cost can also be reduced by automating the painting and coating processes.
According to a sixth method for producing a small diameter roller for use for a transfer head of a film transfer tool in which the small diameter roll is produced by forming a rubber-like material over an outer circumferential surface of a core material through insert molding.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the construction of the mold can be made simple when compared to the two-color injection molding, and therefore the mold cost can be reduced.
In addition, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since a metallic shaft can be used for the core material, the core material can be made thin.
Furthermore, according to this aspect of the present invention, the thin resilient film can be formed with higher accuracy than the compression molding. Moreover, according to the same aspect of the invention, the production cost can be reduced by automating the molding process.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a small diameter roller for use for a transfer head of a film transfer tool in which the small diameter roller is produced by loosely placing over a small diameter shaft which is cut to a suitable length a hollow shaft formed to have an inside diameter which is larger than the outside diameter of the small shaft.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since no resilient film is coated on the shaft, the external configuration of the roller can be produced small.
In addition, according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since no resilient film is provided on the shaft, there can be produced the small diameter roller for the transfer head which has an advantage that the adhesion of the transfer film to the surface of a paper can be facilitated through the construction of the film transfer tool in which when using the film transfer tool, the pressing force of the transfer head generated when the transfer head is pressed against the surface of the paper concentrates on a single point
Furthermore, according to the same aspect of the present invention, high strength can be secured by using hard resin or metal for the core material.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a small diameter roller for use for a transfer head of a film transfer tool in which the small diameter roller is produced by forming simultaneously a core material and a resilient portion through two-color extrusion molding and thereafter cutting the core material and the resilient portion to a suitable dimension.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the small diameter roller can easily be produced by forming the core material and resilient portion continuously long and then cutting the core material and resilient portion so formed to a required length. Thus, this aspect of the invention is effective in reducing the production cost.
In addition, according to the same aspect of the present invention, high strength can be secured by using a metal shaft for the core material.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a small diameter roller for use for a transfer head of a film transfer tool in which the small diameter roller is produced by skiving a resin or metallic material.
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since no resilient film is coated on the shaft, the external configuration of the roller can be produced small.
In addition, according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since there is provided no resilient film, the small diameter roller for the transfer head can be produced which can facilitate the adhesion of the transfer film to the surface of a paper through the construction of the film transfer tool in which when using the film transfer tool, the pressing force of the transfer head generated when the transfer head is pressed against the surface of the paper concentrates on a single point.
Furthermore, according to the same aspect of the present invention, high strength can be secured by using hard resin or metal for the shaft.